Deirdre Whitman
Vice President, Enrollment Management
Mercy College
At Mercy College freshman applications have nearly tripled in three years and enrollment is up 61 percent. Deirdre Whitman shares some of the reasons.
What are the most significant factors driving Mercy's admissions success?
In fall 2009 we enrolled our largest freshman class in ten years. New student applications for fall 2010 are up 175 percent over fall 2007. First-time full-time freshman enrollees are up 61% over the same period. Here are two important drivers. (1) Our very broad course offering. With more than 90 academic programs, the sky is the limit on academic options. (2) Our Personalized Achievement Contract is a drawing card of incredible power, in which each qualified student is paired with a personal mentor.
Are there additional success factors?
Yes. (3) By design we offer the lowest private college tuition in metropolitan New York. Mercy College students will not be buried in debt when they graduate. (4) The Mercy College recruitment team expanded recruitment outreach from 86 visits to high schools, college fairs and other recruitment venues to more than 2,000. (5) Last, but by no means least, every admissions prospect is encountered by a Mercy College employee who radiates enthusiasm and warmth.
From whom are you purchasing leads for freshman admissions?
For first-time freshmen we use The College Board, CollegeBound Selection Services, National Research Center for College University Admissions and ACT.
What significant filters do you apply when specifying the lead set from College Board or ACT?
We want to identify those students who will benefit the most from a Mercy College experience. Among our filters are geography, academic interests, career aspirations, athletic interests, test score results.
From whom can you buy leads for undergraduate transfer students?
There are fewer transfer lead purveyors. CollegeFish is one of our sources. Zinch is another. We also make use of the National Student Clearinghouse.
What tools will you be using to assess the value of the leads you purchase?
We measure the numbers in which they respond, apply, are accepted, register and finally enroll. The primary driver is the resulting pool of enrolled students. From this year's enrolled pool we adjust our lead purchases for the following year.
What might you like to know about your prospects' and applicants' willingness to pay?
We already know that 85% of students attending our school are receiving some form of financial aid. I'd like to learn how their willingness to pay is affected by their understanding of the financial aid process. For example, how can we most effectively explain pricing and paying to very busy parents and students.
What might you like to know about your enrolled students' willingness to pay?
It's very situational. For example, the size of a student's unpaid balance is of growing importance as the academic year progresses -- and as each registration period approaches. Will a new payment plan be successful? Can we do more to find employment opportunities for enrolled students?
What do you do to help an applicant distinguish between sticker price and actual out-of-pocket cost?
We provide workshops of all kinds to groups as large as 500 people and in one-to-one sessions. We have hired a team of student financial services experts. They work with students and their mentors on personal finance topics.
How many accepted applicants make their choice of school based mainly on affordability?
Affordability is a main factor, however, students' decision to attend Mercy College is not based solely on affordability, but also on the PACT program, a wide choice of academic programs, and flexible class scheduling, including online courses.